Bank of Japan Holds at 1.25% in 8-1 Vote, Lifts Inflation Forecast and Speeds ETF Sales
Board member Hajime Takata pushed for 1.5%, and the central bank will more than double the pace of its ETF sales from January 2027.
Capital Times: markets, business and economic news from Asia
PAG Agrees to Buy 51% of Evergrande Property Services for HK$4 Billion, Below Market
Evergrande's liquidators agreed to sell the stake after a yearlong auction, and PAG's HK$0.8359-a-share offer for the rest sits below where the shares closed Friday.
ECB Holds Deposit Rate at 2.5%, Leaves December Hike in Play as Lagarde Plans Early Exit
Policymakers debated a hike before agreeing to wait for more data, and Lagarde said she will leave on Feb. 7 to have the freedom to engage on matters that are not monetary policy matters.
Fed Holds Rates at 3.75% to 4% in 10-2 Vote as Warsh Plans Fewer Rate Decisions
Lisa Cook and Beth Hammack wanted a hike, markets still see one in December, and in 2027 the Fed will set rates at only seven of its eight meetings.
Samsung Drags Kospi Down 3% as Alphabet's Cash Burn Cools Asia's AI Stock Rally
Japanese chip stocks rallied ahead of the BOJ and Hong Kong held flat in morning trade, while Samsung's profit miss and a battery stake sale sank Seoul.
China's Factory Activity Shrinks as Official PMI Falls to 49.3, Missing Forecasts
Export orders and imports both contracted as holiday demand faded, while services stalled at 50 and construction orders sank to 40.
Markets
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- KoreaSamsung's HBM4 Sales Triple and 2027 Supply Sells Out, but Finance Loss Dents Net Profit
- Consumer & RetailJapan Tobacco Raises Profit Forecast to Record 662 Billion Yen as Ploom Sales Jump
- TravelAir China Third-Quarter Profit Sinks 93% as Jet Fuel Costs Erase Summer Travel Gains
- Middle East & AfricaQatarEnergy Signs 20-Year Deal for Up to 3 Million Tons a Year of Woodside's US LNG
- Hong KongHong Kong Exports Surge 64.9% in September, Fastest Growth in More Than Four Decades
- CommoditiesGold Sinks Below $3,900 to One-Year Low as Fed Hike Bets and AI Sell-Off Spur Selling
China's Economy Grows 4.5% in Third Quarter, Beating Forecasts as Factories Hum
Growth picked up from the second quarter on manufacturing and exports, while construction shrank and officials flagged weak domestic demand.
Hong Kong IPOs Raise Record HK$388 Billion in Nine Months, Putting Best Year in Reach
KPMG says full-year proceeds could near HK$500 billion as A+H listings and tech issuers fill a pipeline of more than 600 applicants.
U.S. Treasuries
Treasury Yields Slip Back Below 5% as Fed Decision Looms After September Rout
The 10-year yield has fallen for three weeks after touching its highest since 2007, but oil and supply worries still hang over the market.
Brent Eases From Near Six-Month High as Saudi-Iran Talks Temper Houthi Supply Scare
Diplomacy in Tehran trimmed oil prices, but attacks on Saudi energy sites and on Hormuz shipping keep a heavy risk premium in place.
Jio Platforms Heads for Market Debut After INR 302 Billion IPO Draws 22 Times Demand
Reliance's digital arm sold only new shares, will use most of the money to cut debt and starts trading in Mumbai on Wednesday.
What the Term Premium Is, and Why It Is Pushing Long-Term Bond Yields Higher
Investors are demanding more to lock up money for decades. Here is how that extra compensation works and why it has lifted U.S. and Japanese yields.
Artificial Intelligence
Moonshot AI Weighs Up to $5 Billion Hong Kong IPO After $50 Billion Valuation
The Kimi developer has closed its last private round and lined up banks for a listing as soon as early 2027, Bloomberg reported.
- TSMC Profit Jumps 69% to a Record as 2nm Ramp Lifts Fourth-Quarter OutlookSemiconductors · 3 min read
- HSBC Rolls Out Hong Kong Dollar Stablecoin RedCoin to 3.3 Million PayMe UsersFintech & Crypto · 4 min read
- Asia Startup Funding Holds Near Highs at $38.5 Billion as AI Draws 55%Startups & VC · 3 min read
China Trade
China's Exports Jump 36% in September as AI Demand Pushes Surplus to 2026 High
Shipments beat forecasts by more than 10 percentage points, and the annual surplus is on pace to top $1 trillion again.
- Australia's Core Inflation Rises to 3.7%, Beating Forecasts and Firming RBA Hike BetsGrowth & Inflation · 4 min read
- What Is in the US-China Trade Truce, and What Happens if It Lapses in JanuaryTrade · 3 min read
India Clears Fairfax's Takeover of IDBI Bank in INR 529 Billion Stake Sale
PetroChina Profit Rises 21.6%, Sinopec's Jumps 57% Even as China Fuel Sales Fall
Pop Mart Revenue Falls Up to 50% in Third Quarter as Labubu Sales Weaken
Bain and LY Top EQT Again in Kakaku.com Fight as Tender Deadline Nears
Brazil
Brazilian Stocks Plunge 13.7% and the Real Slides After Lula Wins Runoff
Investors had bet on a Bolsonaro victory after the first round. Lula's narrow comeback reversed that trade and put Brazil's debt back in focus.
EU and China Reach Hybrid Car Understanding, Pledge Faster Rare Earth Licenses
Two days of talks in Beijing pulled both sides back from a trade war, but EV duties stay in place and the hybrid terms remain unpublished.
How the USMCA Review Works Now That Washington Has Declined to Extend the Pact
The U.S. did not confirm a 16-year extension in July, setting up yearly reviews. Here is what that means for Asian companies producing in Mexico and Canada.
Korea Property
Seoul Apartment Prices Rise for 89th Week as Gangnam Slips and Chip Belt Heats Up
Buyers priced out of Seoul's richest districts are moving to cheaper neighborhoods and to Gyeonggi towns near chip plants, despite a year of curbs.
- Singapore Prime Office Vacancy Falls to 2.6% as AI Firms Join the Hunt for SpaceCommercial · 3 min read
Singapore
Singapore Savings Bond Return Rises to 2.45% as T-Bill Yields Climb Toward 2%
The November bond issue and recent Treasury bill auctions show Singapore savers earning noticeably more on cash than they did a year ago.
Food & Drink
Hong Kong's Bar Leone Keeps World's Best Bar Title as Asia Takes 13 Spots
Hong Kong tied New York and Paris with four bars in the top 50, while venues in Bangkok and Seoul climbed into the top 10.
Swiss Watch Exports Rise 11.7% in September as Hong Kong Shipments Edge Up
A rebound in US shipments drove a fourth straight monthly gain, while reports differed on whether demand from mainland China rose or fell.
JYP Entertainment Shares Jump 6.8% on Unverified Takeover Claim as Regulator Warns
Two little-known groups say they plan to bid for up to half of the Stray Kids label. JYP says no valid proposal arrived, and Korea's watchdog is monitoring trading.
The Asia Open
Our 6 a.m. HKT briefing on what moved overnight and what to watch when Asian markets open. Weekdays, free.